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The special bond that humans share with both equines and canines originated thousands of years ago. Deepening our understanding of that bond can help us to become better animal guardians as well as better animal bodyworkers.

Both dogs and horses have undergone a process of domestication, although some will argue that horses have not been domesticated, but rather, simply tamed. Regardless of this distinction, the relationship that humans share with both horses and dogs is a relationship that is deeply complex, with roots extending thousands of years. In our upcoming Human-Animal Bond webinar, we will discuss this rich history, as well as the depth of the bond we share with them today.

This webinar will be presented by RMSAAM webinar instructor and digital media & marketing specialist, Emily Tronetti. Emily also owns Heal to Howl, a canine massage, Reiki and photography business that focuses on the human-canine bond. Emily is currently a graduate student in the Anthrozoology program at Canisius College. Anthrozoology is the study of the interactions between humans and nonhuman animals. Emily is excited to combine her anthrozoology education with the knowledge she gained in RMSAAM’s canine massage program in this brand new webinar!

Goats make a noise that sounds like ‘Baaaaa’ and it is described as a bleat. RMSAAM Large and Small Animal Acupressure Class perform acupressure on horses and dogs and Goats. Did you know the basic function and energetic application of acupressure points are the same for humans, horses, dogs, goats, pigs, rabbits, and all animals? If you know the function and energetic acupressure point you can transpose the point location and use the point for Goats. Goats have Association Points, Master Points, Alarm Points, and Ting Points; just like all other animals.

Sometimes their friends will be so jealous they will even pretend they are a goat.

If you learn how to determine what points to use to help Large and Small Animals, you can help Goats using acupressure points. Sometimes they will wait for you to determine which points to use and sometimes they will try to help!

But in the end remember if you learn a point such as ST36, is the Master Point for the Gastrointestinal System, you can use ST36 on a Goat to help maintain his or her GI system. So that’s what all the bleating is about!

To learn more about RMSAAM’s Large and Small Animal Acupressure Courses, see our class listings.

Will you let your seemingly chaotic challenges get the best of you, or will you turn it around with the sheer strength of will and determination, and faith that all will level out as it is meant to be?

The rune above is called Hagalaz, (also known as: Haegl, Hagl, Haegl, Hagal, Hagall) and is by no means a Rune to dismiss, or think of ‘lightly’. As most of you whom have read my previous articles on runes, you may recall that runes are a form of the Scandinavian alphabet that date back as far as the 2nd to 8th centuries (specifically the Elder Futhark; made of 24 runes, broken up in 3 groups of 8, called an Aett). More recently, they are used as divining or ‘self-improvement’ tools.

If I had been swirling rune stones, this rune would have no reversed meaning (If you look closely, it is in an ‘H’ shape). But because I use Rune Cards, the reversed meanings can simple mean a blockage or that the energy is on its way to resolving itself. This rune is considered a ‘bad weather’ rune, but for the most part, calls on us to ‘never shy away from challenges’. Whether or not we like it, challenges and obstacles abound; this can be an every-once-in-awhile occurrence, or some people are constantly growing, and therefore encounter more than their fair share of delays and hindrances. Generally, the rune can mean literally ‘bad weather’ or an internal battle of sorts that we are working through.

Reversed, it’s a bit less intense. Meaning, oh, so you thought you could take a short cut, and now you’ve found yourself knee deep in murky water! When things get tough, there are no wins or losses, there’s only finding the best way to manage a crisis, even if there is a crisis while managing a crisis! Many times, all the ‘bad things’ simply just are that – a run of bad luck, with a promise of the sun shining, and a new day tomorrow. It is a test of will, strength, and determination. Will you let your seemingly chaotic challenges get the best of you, or will you turn it around with the sheer strength of will and determination, and faith that all will level out as it is meant to be?

RMSAAM would love to hear about your turn a round’s in difficult situations and most especially if any of this applies to you!

Canine Hip Dysplasia is the most common cause of rear leg lameness in dogs. The highest incidence occurs in the larger breeds, such as St. Bernard’s, Newfoundland’s, Rottweiler’s, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, and Labrador Retrievers.

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint; the head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint. (The acetabulum is a concave surface of the pelvis.) In dogs, hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket causing a loose joint that in its more severe form, can cause crippling lameness over time, and painful arthritis of the joints. Instability occurs as muscle development lags behind the rate of skeletal growth. As the stress of weight-bearing exceeds the strength limits of the supporting connective tissue and muscle, the joint becomes loose and unstable. This allows for free play of the femoral head in the acetabulum, which promotes abnormal wear and tear, and can lead to discomfort, pain, arthritis, and lameness.

Acupressure cannot correct the genetic defect of the hip structure, but it can help minimize the progression of deterioration of the joint and help minimize the symptoms.

Use the acupressure points below, every day, for dogs with Hip Dysplasia and weekly, for dogs with a predisposition to Hip Dysplasia or any signs of hind end pain or lameness.

Massage these points clockwise first on the right side until the dog has a energy release such as a yawn, licking, a bark, a stretch, or any obvious sign of relaxation, but for no more than 30 seconds. Repeat on the left side.

St 36- To maintain proper weight, and promote overall wellness

BL11 – To promote strong bones

Sp3- To promote good muscle strength

BL54- MASTER Point for Back and Hip

Sp6- Kidney, Liver, and Spleen Yin Balancing Point

GB34- Strengthens Tendons

LI4 Can be used separately or in conjunction with the other points for Pain or to prevent Pain

About Beth Pelosa:

Beth is a Certified Large and Small Animal Acupressure Practitioner, Animal Acupressure Instructor, and owner of Equine Energy Works, LLC. In addition to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupressure, Beth has also studied Dr. McLaren’s Photonic Light Therapy and other vibrational healing modalities including equine massage, Bach Flower Remedies therapy, floral acupressure and aromatherapy. To read more about Beth, click here, and if you’d like to know when the upcoming Acupressure courses are going to be held, you click on the calendar. We look forward to meeting you!

For humans, the benefits of massage outweigh the inevitable soreness that can sometimes occur post-massage. The advantage the massage therapist has over helping us humans to minimize the impact of soreness, is that they can recommend that we drink plenty of water, and do some gentle stretches. Hydration is key in order to assist our bodies to rid ourselves of the toxins that are naturally released during massage.

All Animal Massage practitioners provide a form in which the owner specifies all pertinent details about your furry friend. Questions about your dog’s health and wellness are included. If your dog falls within the eligibility parameters of massage, the practitioner then has the honor of building a relationship with your dog on a therapist/client basis.

When your pet experiences their first massage, soreness can occur. So how will you know if your pet is sore? You know your furry friend’s (this includes your horses!) habits well by now – the first thing you will notice is that your pet is less active, or when in a lying position, will rise more gingerly or slowly than usual. If you have stairs, your pet may climb them more slowly. The therapist’s goal is to minimize this possibility of soreness; it is not unusual if your furry friend does experience this, due to the unaccustomed feeling of knotted muscles being relieved and newly positioned.

Asking in advance of the first massage what to expect post-massage is highly recommended, as all animals experience the benefits of massage differently. Sometimes the changes in movement are more subtle. In cases like these, touching base with the practitioner post-massage might be a good idea. After the initial massage, if soreness continues, the practitioner can ascertain with as much detail provided by the owner, how best to adjust and customize the massage to fit your animal companion’s special needs during future sessions.

Here are a few ways to help your dog with the soreness they may be feeling:

Take your dog for a slow, short walk, post-massage

Make another appointment within the same week for another session; this will maintain, and prep your dog’s muscles for continued muscle relaxation and dexterity

Make water easily and readily available for them to drink after their session

Cold laser therapy will help in the more tense and reactive areas, in which soreness can occur

The ultimate goal for the animal practitioner when massaging your pet for the first time is to use less pressure in combination with intuition, to guide their best and positive intentions that lead to an awesome experience – for their first time on the table!

It begins with doubts, but mostly an immense feeling of freedom: Images of working with animals, and a ‘knowing’ that it’s just what you should be doing. But then, the boxed in reality of the job you go to everyday, the one that puts bread and butter on the table, come in and jumble your thoughts, throwing you into doubtful, cloudy, abyss.

Then comes the, ‘put it on the back burner’; it’s a lofty idea, completely unworkable. For how on earth are you supposed to begin the process of getting the education you need in order to become a certified Animal Practitioner? The idea may seem far-fetched, and indeed a challenging one.

But who made up that saying, “Nothing worth doing comes easy” or something to that effect? So how do you begin the process? Is there a magical formula that you follow? An easy step-by-step guide on: ‘how to follow your dreams and make them a reality?’

Surely there is one? For if the magic swirls around you and inside of you, then a materialization of this concept must exist somewhere? So then the next thing is you go to the book store, and head over to the ‘Self-help’ section.

Oh my, tons of great books. Now, which one is the one? Suddenly, there appear to be too many. It’s almost as if by being confronted by too many choices, you now can’t make a simple decision as to which book(s) is the right one!

Instead perhaps the final decision is to go back home, and look up each book you wrote down as a possible good choice on Google Books. So, great! This is the decision for now. Congratulations! You did make a decision… or did you?

Days go by. Weeks go by. Years go by. The list still sits on your computer bookmarked somewhere. Perhaps you even bought a new computer in all this time, and oops, you didn’t save the link to the books list that you coveted and hid for later review so possessively, somewhere…

Early mornings and dog-tired evenings are when the thoughts come again. Especially when you are walking your dog, or playing with your cats, or feeding your rabbit – oh, how you would love to work with animals…

Do you think that you just randomly happened by this article? Do you think perhaps that you have just taken the first step to making your dream come true as an animal practitioner?

Click here, read on to discover how easy it is, to make an informed decision… Congratulations, you’ve now taken the first, real, and palpable steps to do doing what you love, instead of dreading where you’re going everyday… Congratulations!

In a perfect world, words would convey EXACTLY what we are thinking. The reader would simply be drawn in by your intention, every inflection of your voice, through your words. We would not need to add images, or graphics; the reader would see it all in their mind, a bit like a neon sign…

But, this is not a perfect world we live in. We live in a world in fact, that involves nixed, mixed, confused, convoluted, and misunderstood communication. How to be clear, concise, and say what we mean with integrity? How to sell what you love to do as an animal practitioner with simple, yet intelligent buzz words that capture, and enthrall your prospective clients, while at the same time, marketing yourself with integrity, honor, and the highest good of all concerned including their humans?

It’s simple: Honesty. We shouldn’t be afraid to be honest. We shy away from it because we worry what others might think. We worry that we may say the wrong thing, or not say the right thing. We worry that we will be judged if we don’t sound a specific, educated way. Yet, we are. You are – educated. So where do you begin to truly use your words, not only to convey what you do concisely, but with pride and integrity?

Honesty: What do you really want to say? It may sound ‘out there’, but in fact, aren’t we all weird in our own way? Don’t we try to disguise it by the way we dress, speak, or through our lifestyles? You are an animal practitioner. This means you have committed your life to helping and aiding in the self-healing of these beings, as well as your own as a human being. Begin with what’s weirdest, and work your way to what’s realistic and understandable.

Talk about your weaknesses and round it out with your strengths. Type up several drafts, and put yourself in several positions as a helper; an advocate for the wellbeing of animals around the world, and then edit it, and cut, and add, and don’t be afraid to cut some more, and replace with more magic words… it all begins in the first drafts, and ends with the final – it’s all about who, what, why, where, and how you’re going to offer your services: Pride, confidence, belief, honor, and integrity. Am I missing something? Please don’t be shy and share with RMSAAM the things I might have left out…

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RMSAAM Mission

To promote and enhance the well-being of animals around the world through responsible and comprehensive educational programming, classes and certificate programs.

About Us

Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure and Massage offers a wide range of courses in animal massage, acupressure, reiki, essential oils, animal communication and more. We are proud of our offerings and our legacy. Rocky Mountain School of Animal Acupressure Massage has three campuses: Elizabeth, Colorado, Longmont, Colorado, and Fort Myers, Florida. All campuses are inspirational settings for learning the art of massage and acupressure for animals. Bring your dog or work on one of ours, practice on one of our friendly horses and make new friends.

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